Conventional drinking straws suffer from several disadvantages, one of which is the tendency for a fluid to easily squirt or spill from the straw that is utilized to deliver the fluid from a fluid reservoir, such as juice bags, juice boxes, drinking containers (e.g., bottles, cans, and the like), other various types of fluid supplies, and the like. This unwanted fluid flow typically occurs while installing the straw into the container or during handling the container.
Various devices and methods have been proposed for preventing squirting and/or spilling from drinking straws, fluid containers, and caps for fluid containers, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,173 to Ruiz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,353 to Ramsey; U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,460 to Caines; U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,172 to Rossbach et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,194 to Barnwell; U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,866 to Belcastro; U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,025 to Di Gregorio; U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,908 to Jasek; U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,478 to Sullivan et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,619 to Belanger; U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,620 to Belcastro; U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,444 to Sugg; U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,919 to Ho; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,311 to Panec et al., the entire specifications of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
However, these devices and methods suffer from several disadvantages. For example, some of these methods employ closing a passage for fluid flow by displacing a straw tip that causes the straw to fold or a valve to close. These methods also typically require a special container and require the consumer to “activate” the straw/delivery passage to open and close the fluid passage. Additionally, these methods do not resist squirting or spilling while the straw/delivery passage is in the “open” or “useable” position.
Other methods require a consumer to “activate” or displace the straw to stop fluid flow, and perform a similar function to regain fluid flow. Again, these methods do not resist squirting or spilling while the straw is in the “open” or “useable” position.
Devices such as valve assemblies have been proposed as a means for preventing any spillage from a container. However, these designs require a complicated multi-component apparatus. Further, these designs require that a consumer activate a valve to prevent spillage and reactivate the valve to regain fluid flow. Again, these devices do not resist squirting or spilling while the fluid passage is in the “open” or “useable” position and thus may require a special container. These devices are generally not feasible in a conventional straw construction.
Other devices employ complicated “passive” valve assemblies that do not require conscious activation. However, all of these devices typically require multiple components and require a special container. Also, additional vacuum (e.g., negative pressure) may be required to activate some of these devices in order to initiate fluid flow, and this may be undesirable from the consumer's standpoint. These devices are generally not feasible in a conventional straw construction.
Accordingly, there exists a need for new and improved drinking straws, fluid delivery passages, and containers, including those that are resistant to squirting and spilling of fluids.